Passengers may have to queue up to an hour outside in the rain at Dublin Airport this weekend, CEO of the DAA has admitted.
Dalton Philips is appearing before the Transport Committee and has “apologised unreservedly” to the 1,400 people who missed their flight on Sunday and admitted that the company cut too many Dublin Airport security screening staff during the pandemic.
He also revealed that holidaymakers may have to wait in holding areas outside at the airport’s short-term car parks if Dublin Airport experiences significant queues again.
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Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell pointed out it’s forecasted to rain on Friday morning and in patches this weekend.
He asked Mr Philips if people will be have to wait outside in the rain, Mr Philips said: “Potentially.
“As I said we want to get covered areas so that doesn't happen.”
Mr O’Donnell told Mr Phillips that these revelations were “dreadful.”
When pressed further on how long people can expect to be queueing outside, Mr Philips said: “There will be periods where queueing could be an hour.
“At certain peak points there may be queuing outside.”
He revealed his plans to ensure chaotic scenes do not occur again at the weekend including increasing staff and asking passengers to arrive at specific times for their flight.
He said: “Our advice to passengers due to fly out of Dublin Airport over the coming period, is to arrive at the airport at least two and a half hours before the departure of short-haul flights to Europe and the UK and at least three and a half hours for long-haul flights.
“If passengers are checking in bags, we advise them to add up to an additional hour for bag drop or check-in.”
He said additional security staff from Cork Airport will be drafted in to help at Dublin Airport this weekend.
They will be among more than 40 extra security screening staff that will be on duty to help with demand for flights.
When asked repeatedly by Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell if he could give a guarantee that passengers will not miss a flight again, Mr Philips said: “If passengers will heed the two and half hours, I’m confident with our plans.
“We’re in a very difficult situation.
“I am giving them a high level of confidence.”
However, queues of more than one hour can be expected over the weekend, but the DAA said it does not envisage a repeat of last Sunday's queues.
The DAA has said at times when the terminals get particularly busy, they will be triaging access to the terminals and only allowing departing passengers into the departures level that have flights departing within two-and-a-half hours to short-haul destinations and three-and-a-half for long-haul destinations.
Passengers that arrive too early for their flights will be asked to wait in a passenger holding area.
Access to the appropriate terminals will be controlled, and will require the presentation of documentation indicating the time of flight such as a booking confirmation or boarding card.
Mr Philips said: “We would be using some of the outside queuing areas that we've got now which are in place and we would also use some of our short-term car parks both in terminal one and terminal two that are adjacent and that are covered and can provide a safe infrastructure in the event that we need to triage.
“We don't expect to have that in place this weekend but as the number spills over the summer, we want to have a contingency [plan] and should we be faced with a situation.
“So this weekend, our plan for this weekend is that people will not have to be outside for any length of time.”
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